Research
Claremont Museum is committed to presenting accurate and well researched information about the past. Our role is to collect, conserve and share the objects and stories of the natural, cultural and Aboriginal heritage of the Claremont and Freshwater Bay area. Our work tells us about who we are and where we came from. It develops our sense of identity and sense of place. We urge all researchers to be aware of and question the variety of sources available, particularly those that are web based. Always ask questions, check information and the interpretation placed on it.
The following information will assist in research relating to people, places and historical events.
To aid with your family history research, Claremont Museum has collected newspaper articles, memoirs, reports and certificates relating to many of the early residents of Claremont and the Freshwater Bay area. While the Museum does not have information on everyone, by using these documents along with post office directories and rate books, much can be learned of the previous generations.
The Town of Claremont has produced a brochure to assist you in your house history research.
View our Easy Steps to Researching the History of your House
In 2002 the Museum collaborated with students from the Research Institute for Cultural Heritage at Curtin University of Technology to produce the following Street Histories. They are available at the Claremont Museum for $15.00 each.
- Agett Road
- Albert Street
- Australind Street
- Barnfield Road
- Bernard Street
- Chester Road
- Claremont Crescent
- Davies Road
- Devon Road
- Fraser Road
- Hammond Road
- Langsford Street
- Mengler Avenue
- Renown Avenue
- Riley Road
- Second Avenue
- Smith Street
- Walter Street
Prior to European settlement the district of Claremont was associated with Aboriginal people of the Whudjuck Nyungar group. The Swan River Colony was established in 1829 and in the 1850s land was subdivided in the Claremont area to provide accommodation and land for the Pensioner Guards who had accompanied convicts to the Colony. From 1875 onwards large tracts of land were acquired by speculators and in the 1880s and 1890s these lots were further subdivided for housing lots. Initially the people who took up these lots were the moderately wealthy and the merchants of the day. In 1881 the Perth to Fremantle railway line was opened and this was the catalyst for growth and development in the Claremont area.
The name ‘Claremont’ was chosen in 1880 by Stock and Station Agent James Morrison, wanting to market the land to a class of people who may not have been attracted to a place called ‘Butlers Swamp’. Claremont Railway Station was built in 1886, and the commercial centre of Claremont subsequently developed along Bay View Terrace to Stirling Highway.
The Museum holds the local history collection for Claremont and can help with researching local houses, businesses and people in Claremont’s past. With some exceptions, this collection is mainly paper based.
Please contact the museum at toc@claremont.wa.gov.au or by calling 9285 4300 to make a research appointment.
Alternatively, should you need to email a brief research question through, staff will respond within 5 business days.
You can also try our list of Online Research Links below to find links to websites which may aid in your research.
To search a wide range of newspapers, books, photographs and other online resources:
To search Western Australian Post Office Directories from 1893-1949:
https://slwa.wa.gov.au/collections/collections/post-office-directories
To search online indexes for Western Australian Births, Deaths and Marriages:
To search for burial records in the Perth Metropolitan area:
https://portal.mcb.wa.gov.au/name-search/
To search the Government records in the State Records Office of Western Australia, use the on-line catalogue. This will assist with searching a wide range of subject areas including convicts and transportation, education and school records, residents of Perth Old Men’s Home (Sunset Hospital), maps and plans.
The Police Gazette is available on-line from the State Library of Western Australia Battye Library’s site. These documents are a valuable resource for researching police and criminals in Western Australia from 1876 to 1900.
https://slwa.wa.gov.au/collections/collections/police-gazettes
Collections WA
